OT - Proposed new Night Stalker series ordered

[Mark Rainey]

Good lord; no one will ever be able to touch Darren McGavin. He was one-of-a-kind, and his chemistry with Simon Oakland was priceless. If it's gotta be done, somebody like Greg Kinnear might pull it off...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

According to this item on Sci Fi Wire, it looks like they're going in a completely different direction from the movies and previous series:

12:00 AM, 04-MARCH-05

Townsend Stalks Night

Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned) will star as ABC's new Kolchak in the drama pilot Night Stalker, an update of the 1970s supernatural TV series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gabrielle Union will also star in Night Stalker, from Touchstone TV and writer-producer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), the trade paper reported.

Union will play Kolchak's colleague at the paper who partners with him in his pursuit of supernatural phenomena.[/b]

Interestingly, DC hasn't been mentioned in one thing that I've read about the project, so perhaps he isn't involved in it at all.

[Gothick]

Well, Stuart Townsend is a real sexpot,so it does indeed sound as if they're going for something that looks a lot more like the X Files than Night Stalker (I personally thought the reputed resemblance between the two series was greatly exaggerated).

Does anybody have a photo of Ms. Union handy?  If she looks like the slinky-and-champagne type, it'll be a clue to the UST (unresolved sexual tension) factor in her partnership with the Townsend character.

G.

[Midnite]

it does indeed sound as if they're going for something that looks a lot more like the X Files than Night Stalker (I personally thought the reputed resemblance between the two series was greatly exaggerated).

Really?  I think nearly every episode of Night Stalker contains themes that are familiar to the X-Files audience.  I don't want to wander too far off topic, but citing NS's "The Vampire" and X-Files' "3" as examples, they're both set in L.A. and feature lady vampires who use sex to attract their victims, and the finales involve fire.

Does anybody have a photo of Ms. Union handy?

Gabrielle Union

[Countess]

Well i was just about to say. . hasn't a redo of the Night Stalker been done. . i.e. The X-Files?  It seems supersilious to me and likely to fail.

I agrree.  The X-Files was a landmark series that will be the yardstick by which supernatural series will be measured for some time.  I believe that fans are going to expect the same quality or better.  Having Frank Spotnitz on hand is a big plus, but if they're going to play the sexual chemistry card...well, that wasn't the Carl Kolchak I remember and loved.  Speaking of the X-Files, I was a huge fan of the series, yet I always kinda felt that Julia might have been the prototype for  Scully.   There seemed to be a lot of similarities between the characters.

Countess

[Countess]

Does anybody have a photo of Ms. Union handy?

Just checked out Gabrielle Union's photo...yup, another Vogue cover model playing an investigator.  So the sexual chemistry is inevitable.  Sigh....  Does anyone know if Zelda Rubenstein(from the movie Poltergeist) is still alive?   Now she'd make a great partner for Kolchak.

[Patti Feinberg]

[Does anyone know if Zelda Rubenstein(from the movie Poltergeist) is still alive?   Now she'd make a great partner for Kolchak.

Again, not to get too far OT, but, no, she, like Heather Rourke and Danielle (the teenager), all died. Makes ya think...

Patti

[ProfStokes]

Again, not to get too far OT, but, no, she, like Heather Rourke and Danielle (the teenager), all died. Makes ya think...

Actually, Patti, I just checked imdb and not only is Ms. Rubinstein alive and well, but she's playing a character with a very interesting name in a new film called Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.  Check it out: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748289/ 

ProfStokes

[Midnite]

she's playing a character with a very interesting name in a new film called Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.  Check it out

Heh, heh!

[Mary]

I was just reading on an "X-Files" board that there are rumors that the new "Night Stalker" has just been picked up for a series.  Has anyone heard anything?

[Midnite]

I think nearly every episode of Night Stalker contains themes that are familiar to the X-Files audience. I don't want to wander too far off topic, but citing NS's "The Vampire" and X-Files' "3" as examples, they're both set in L.A. and feature lady vampires who use sex to attract their victims, and the finales involve fire.

Gee, Mary, you must've been reading my mind because I wanted to reply to this topic and it was right at the top of the listing.  Anyhoo, the original "Night Stalker" is tomorrow's SciFi min-marathon and it includes "The Vampire" ep mentioned above.  Also, "The Trevi Collection" with Lara Parker for anyone who still hasn't seen it.

Actually, here's the list:
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER    "Mr. R.I.N.G"
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "The Trevi Collection"
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "The Ripper"
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "The Knightly Murders"       
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "Bad Medicine"
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "The Vampire"
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "Horror in the Heights"        
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER     "The Youth Killer"

Check http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot to determine the times in your area.

Thanks, K!

[Bette]

I was just reading on an "X-Files" board that there are rumors that the new "Night Stalker" has just been picked up for a series.  Has anyone heard anything?

Yes, today's LA Times reports that ABC presented its Fall season to the advertisers, and "The Night Stalker" is on the list.

Bette

[Mary]

Thanks, Bette!  I'm really looking forward to seeing this, although, I'll probably end up sobbing "No, no, nooooo!!!!"  LOL!

[jimbo]

I guess timing is everything. Several supernatural themed shows have made it to this fall's schedule. Even the WB has one but I won't go there as the subject (the WB's passing on the 2004 DS pilot) will make my blood pressure rise. At least Dan the man came through for the crew of the N.S. as he was a consultant on its pilot. Perhaps Dan can remind ABC that he has a new Dark Shadows in development-or so as were told by the Fest.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Zap2it.com posted an interesting interview with Gabrielle Union today about the series: Union's Ready for 'The Night Stalker'

Call me a cynic, but given the new Night Stalker's time slot and its competition (particularly CSI on CBS because NS would appeal to a similar demographic), even if the show turns out to be absolutely wonderful, I can't see it lasting for long. Unless ABC decides to switch its time slot around, I can't see how NS is going to last beyond 2 months. And if its ratings turn out to be really low, NS might not even last half that long. ABC has tried a few supernaturally themed series on Thursdays (Veritas: The Quest and the excellent Miracles being two of the most recent) and they have all been pulled before they got to air even 10 episodes.  :-